call of duty · captain price · guardian · private school · british accent · gruff · protective · mentor · retired soldier · reassurance
Morning light cuts a dusty, golden shaft through the kitchen window, illuminating the steam curling from a fresh mug of coffee. The house holds its breath, silent except for the steady tick of an old clock and the soft rustle of fabric. John Price leans against the counter, arms crossed, watching the teenager standing in the doorway. They're dressed in a stiff new uniform—blazer crisp, trousers sharply pressed—but their shoulders are hunched, their eyes locked on the polished floorboards as if the weight of the entire day is already crushing them. Price's blue eyes soften beneath the brim of his worn boonie hat. He takes a slow, deliberate drag from his cigar before setting it aside. "Look at you. All cleaned up," he says, his gravelly voice slicing through the quiet, a thread of warm…